Apple Ads campaign structure: brand, category, competitor and discovery
Apple recommends four search results campaigns, each built around one keyword theme: brand, category and competitor campaigns with exact match keywords and Search Match off, plus a discovery campaign that uses broad match and Search Match to find new search terms, with every keyword from the other three added to it as an exact match negative.
Why does campaign structure matter in Apple Ads?
Because budgets and countries are set per campaign, and bids, keywords and ad variations per ad group, the way you split keywords decides what you can see and control. Apple puts it simply: separate campaigns by keyword theme. Then each theme gets its own budget, its own bids and its own numbers, and a costly competitor term can't hide inside a cheap brand campaign.
What are the four campaign types?
| Campaign | Focus | Match type | Search Match | Bids |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Your app and company name | Exact | Off | Most aggressive on best performers |
| Category | Non-branded terms for your genre and what the app does | Exact | Off | Most aggressive on best performers |
| Competitor | Apps similar to yours, same or related category | Exact | Off | Most aggressive on best performers |
| Discovery | Finding new search terms | Broad (ad group 1), none (ad group 2) | Off in 1, on in 2 | More moderate |
Apple says the first three "will drive your core performance, so they should be monitored closely". The discovery campaign exists to feed them.
How do you build it? A worked example
Invented app, for illustration: a habit tracker called Stepwise, advertised in the United States. Keywords and rivals are placeholders, not recommendations.
| Campaign | Ad group | Keywords (match type) | Search Match | Negatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US – Brand | Brand exact | [stepwise], [stepwise app], [stepwise habits] | Off | none needed |
| US – Category | Habits exact | [habit tracker], [daily habits], [routine planner] | Off | [habit tracker for kids] |
| US – Category | Goals exact | [goal tracker], [streak tracker] | Off | none yet |
| US – Competitor | Rivals exact | [rival habit app A], [rival habit app B] | Off | none needed |
| US – Discovery | Broad | stepwise, habit tracker, daily habits, routine planner, goal tracker, streak tracker, rival habit app A, rival habit app B (all broad) | Off | Every exact keyword above, as exact negatives |
| US – Discovery | Search Match | none | On | Same exact negatives |
Notes on the example:
- Exact match is written in brackets, like [habit tracker], when you add it to an ad group.
- Two ad groups in one category campaign keep themes apart when you want different bids or a different custom product page per theme.
- Category negatives are terms your app does not serve. Apple's own example: an advanced puzzles app might add the exact negative "kids puzzles".
- Countries: give large markets their own set of campaigns; group countries with a similar language, customer value or region. If you run one campaign per country, you can mirror the same four themes as ad groups inside it.
What is the weekly discovery-to-exact routine?
Discovery only pays off if you harvest it. Once a week:
- Open the Search Terms tab of the discovery campaign. Terms need at least 10 impressions before they appear; below that you see "low volume".
- Sort by installs and cost per install. Look for terms that convert at or under your target cost.
- Promote winners. Add each one as an exact match keyword to the right campaign: your name goes to brand, a rival's name to competitor, everything else to category.
- Close the loop. Add the same term to discovery as an exact match negative, so discovery stops buying it.
- Cut losers. A term that gets taps but no installs becomes a negative: in discovery, and in brand, category and competitor if it shows up there too. Apple's example is a music lessons app that sees the term "tuning app" drive taps without installs.
- Adjust bids. Raise bids on exact keywords that convert under target or get few impressions; lower them on ones that convert above target.
Apple's bidding guide: "For optimal performance, most of your traffic should come from exact match." If discovery spends more than your exact campaigns month after month, the harvest step is being skipped.
What goes on the negative keyword cross-list?
The cross-list stops your own campaigns from buying the same search twice.
| Add these negatives | To this campaign | Match type |
|---|---|---|
| Every brand, category and competitor keyword | Discovery (both ad groups) | Exact |
| Each newly promoted search term | Discovery | Exact |
| Search terms with taps and no installs | Discovery, and any campaign where they appear | Exact, or broad to block every word order |
| Terms for an audience you don't serve | Category and discovery | Exact or broad |
Exact is the default match type for negatives and blocks only that exact term; a broad negative blocks searches that contain all of its words, in any order. You can add up to 5,000 negative keywords per ad group by bulk upload. The details are in Apple Ads match types.
How do you find keywords to start with?
Start from the customer, not the dictionary. Apple's keyword guide suggests your app's name, terms for the service your app provides or the need it meets (including secondary uses), and other popular brand names that provide similar services. Mix:
- General terms (more reach, more competition), such as "music app" in Apple's example;
- Specific terms (better tap-to-install rate, less reach), such as "acoustic guitar lessons".
Inside Apple Ads, the keyword suggestion tool shows search popularity based on App Store searches, on a 1 to 5 scale where 5 is the most popular. Once campaigns have run, the Recommendations page suggests keywords people use for apps like yours, and discovery's Search Terms tab shows real queries.
For deeper research before you spend, see App keyword research, and for the money side, Apple Ads cost and bids.
Where does Uptika fit?
The routine above is exactly what Uptika's Apple Ads Opportunities page lists after you connect your Apple Ads account on a paid plan: search terms that convert but are not exact keywords yet, terms that spend without installs (negative candidates), and keywords far above your target cost. Ads and search rank adds your organic rank for each keyword, today and 7 days ago, next to Apple's search popularity and the paid results, so you can see where a strong organic position already covers a term. Nothing is changed without your explicit confirmation, and changes can be undone. For new terms, Kelime avı (keyword hunt) pulls ideas from the store's autocomplete and from rivals' top-10 terms; the free Keyword Atlas checks one term across up to 10 countries. Setup basics are in Apple Ads setup, or create an account.
Questions
How should I structure Apple Search Ads campaigns?
Apple's template is four search results campaigns: brand (your app and company name), category (what your app does), competitor (similar apps) and discovery. The first three use exact match keywords with Search Match off; discovery has one broad match ad group and one Search Match ad group with no keywords. Split big countries into their own campaigns, or group similar ones.
What is a discovery campaign in Apple Ads?
It is the campaign that finds new search terms for you. It holds a broad match ad group with all your keywords (Search Match off) and a Search Match ad group with no keywords (Search Match on). All brand, category and competitor keywords are added to it as exact match negatives, so it only buys terms you are not already bidding on.
Should I bid on competitor keywords?
Apple's own template includes a competitor campaign, and its keyword guidance notes that people often download and try several apps that serve the same purpose. Your ad still only shows if Apple judges your app relevant to the search, and Apple warns that competitor keywords may not be appropriate in every country or region. Keep them in their own campaign so their cost is visible.
How do I find keywords in Apple Search Ads?
Use the keyword suggestion tool inside your account, which shows search popularity on a 1 to 5 scale, the Recommendations page once campaigns have run, and the Search Terms tab of your discovery campaign. Start with your app name and the words people use for the job your app does, then add both general and specific terms.